Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes struggled to answer basic questions on critical issues affecting Victorian farmers at Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC) hearings today. The Minister was grilled for answers on why our farmers still can’t get seasonal workers on-farm and on the Andrews Labor Government’s policy to ban Victoria’s native timber industry by 2030.…
DetailsA rurally-based program focussed on creating the next generation of regional leaders has been given a last-minute lifeline after pressure from the Liberal Nationals. Victoria’s regional leadership programs were left in limbo again this year, with no certainty from the Andrews Labor Government that they would be funded in the 2020-21 State Budget. Shadow Minister…
DetailsTHE Nationals Member for Murray Plains – and Shadow Agriculture Minister – Peter Walsh has condemned Victorian Government plans to reintroduce dingoes to the Grampians National Park. Mr Walsh described the multi-million-dollar proposal as “beyond absurd” when the same government is spending millions to try and manage the devastation caused by wild dogs across the…
DetailsTHE Nationals Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh has congratulated Gannawarra Shire on its funding to expand its children’s care centre to meet increasing demand and preparation for a funded three-year-old kindergarten. Mr Walsh said the expansion will allow not only maintain the centre’s long day care places it will ensure its overall viability once…
DetailsA more than $200 million Commonwealth rescue package will revive the Murray Basin Rail Project after it was derailed by the Andrews Labor Government. The Federal Liberal and Nationals investment, announced today, includes $195.2 million to fix the mess left by Labor’s Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan, with a further $5 million for planning for…
DetailsTHE Andrews Labor Government has refused to oppose a push by an extreme anti-hunting group to ban duck shooting, raising questions on whether there will be a season in 2021. The Coalition Against Duck Shooting is running a negative campaign to discredit Victoria’s law-abiding, legitimate hunters. Asked in State Parliament this week to stand up…
DetailsTHE Victorian Government, with its dictatorial emergency powers rule, now wants to restrict public protests to a permit-only proposition according to the Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh. Permits he said will be approved, or disapproved, by the Victorian Government – even if the protest was about the government. “The right to protest, your right…
DetailsVictoria’s horticulture harvest is in full swing but the Andrews Labor Government is still full of excuses on why it has failed to do the work to get seasonal workers on farm. Asked to detail the Victorian solution today, Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes said quarantine through the Northern Territory – which comes with an estimated…
DetailsTHE Nationals leader and Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, is urging local RSL sub-branches to apply for their share of funding under three Victorian Government grant programs. Mr Walsh said external funding would be crucial for many sub-branches this year after COVID-19 restrictions seriously impacted traditional revenue opportunities such as Anzac Day and Remembrance…
DetailsTHE Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said the appointment of Jack Rush QC as chairman of the party’s CFA advisory committee confirms it is determined to rebuild the volunteer firefighting force. Mr Walsh said few people understand the issue better than Mr Rush, who was counsel assisting the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. He…
DetailsGRIZZLY – it’s a word that conjures up visions of the hunter/killer – Nature’s ultimate predator; a sight and sound which smacks of the primordial beast. But The Nationals member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, said in this instance it is the brand name for a regional Victorian success story. Mr Walsh said the Swan…
DetailsSWAN Hill’s Margaret Cooper has swapped her campaign for a new bus stop from polite petitions to all-out war with Public Transport Victoria. The feisty 86-year-old walked local streets armed with her petition and with more than 700 signatures collected, handed it to The Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, to take to State…
DetailsThe Nationals Member for Murray Plains, Peter Walsh, has congratulated 11 local schools which will be sharing in a total of $1.4 million funding for capital upgrades and minor works. Mr Walsh said it was great to see a number of schools in across Murray Plains receive funding from the State Government’s Minor Capital Works…
DetailsTimber burned in the catastrophic January bushfires in north-east Victoria and Gippsland will finally be released after the Andrews Labor Government deliberately delayed the assessment of coupes. Despite calls from industry to release coupes as assessments were finalised through the year, Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes has withheld the release of harvestable timber. In announcing timber…
DetailsA glossy media campaign to attract seasonal workers, announced today by the Andrews Labor Government, is an insulting step backwards for Victoria’s agriculture sector after months of warnings and negotiations. Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes has ignored genuine proposals from industry to solve the problem, as a looming gap of more than 20,000 workers is expected…
Details